All Rubber Duckies Go To Heaven

Chapter Twenty-Two

The blue cotton candy melted on my tongue and Aerin watched me nervously.

“Whad?” I asked defensively, the word coated in sugar and dampened by fluff. He opened his mouth to answer but I cut him off, bursting out into an insane fit of uncontrollable laughter. Like, stop-in-the-middle-of-walkway-traffic, doubling over laughter.

Aerin took the wand of blue joy from my hand. “Jan,” he pleaded, starting to laugh himself. “Please! People are gawking!”

That just made me laugh harder.

When sugar hit me, it hit hard. Especially now, when my emotions were all screwed up. It was sort of like my alcohol or drug.

Aerin sighed and hooked arms with me. “So what do you want to do now?”

I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets and strolled beside him, scanning the stands. “Well, there’s a photo booth, and I want to try to win one of those big dog things. And I want to ride the Ferris wheel. The rest is up to you. As long as I get funnel cake,” I beamed.

He sighed and pulled a tuft of cotton candy off the wand. “More candy? Really?” He popped it into his mouth.

I stole the wand back and took a bite. “Duh.”

“Fine,” he huffed. We veered right, following the mouth-watering smell. Aerin decided to split one with me (he figured half the sugar, half the hyper) but I countered by requesting extra sugar AND chocolate syrup. It took a while for them to make it but that’s worth it for funnel cake.

Aerin laughed when I licked the confectious sugar from the plate.

“How are you so skinny?”

I shrugged.

After that we browsed what booths they had up. I tried my luck at one of those water shooting race ones and won a small puppy plush. Aerin took the liberty to point out it fit in my pocket.

I stuck my tongue out and dared him to do better.

“Fine. I just did want to steal your ‘jazz’,” he finger quoted, making my earlier claim. I watched him go up to a bottle and rings stand and hand the girl a dollar. In return she gave him three red rings. He looked back at me and winked before turning back around and throwing the rings. All three landed on the red capped bottle at the very back of the booth.

The girl working there applauded him and started to get a big teddy bear. He stopped her before turning and motioning for me to come. I smiled wildly and jogged over.

The girl glared at me and smacked her gum wildly.

“Which one do you want?” Aerin asked.

I pointed to a big black and white plush husky, feeling like a five year old. “That one.”

The girl swept her blond bangs from her face before standing on her tip-toes, barreling knocking the stuffed animal off its hook and catching it. She leaned over the counter and handed it to Aerin even though I had reached for it. I shrugged off her bitterness and took another bit of cotton candy. “Now what?”

He bit his lip, coming short of catching the stud of his piercing. “There’s two more on your list. Photo booth first?”

I nodded.

We found one quick enough.

It took four pictures:

The first one we were straight faced. Plat smiles and eye, smooth skin, and straight spines.

In the next one we reciprocated the mood. Aerin blew out his cheeks, crossed his eyes, and pulled on his ears. My hair was flipped completely forward and my thumbs stuck in toward my head so the rest of my fingers splayed out like antlers.

The third picture showed Aerin leaning away from me while I tried to get cotton candy on his nose.

Finally we were showcased with me laughing and Aerin with his eyes crossed, focusing on the wad of blue on his nose, and his tongue trying to reach it.

Aerin was still trying to get the cotton candy off as we walked to the Ferris wheel. The line there was diminishing as the night wore on. Admission was a dollar each.

The box swayed as the ride jerked to life.

Aerin and I were sitting across from each other but we were facing forward, our faces inches away.

“So is tonight over or do you have something else in mind?” he asked.

I pulled out my cell phone and checked the time. “It’s only nine. I have a few hours. Why?”

He leaned in a little c loser and the lights from the fair hit his face, accenting it. When he talked I could feel his words on my face. “Something. It’s a surprise.” He smiled mischievously.

My heart began to race as he leaned in slowly. This game I was playing wasn’t a good one. I was gonna get someone hurt.

I pulled back. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” I turned to look out the window and hugged the dog.

Aerin sighed. “It’s okay.”

“I mean, I want to.” I started trying to patch this up. “It’d just be better if we didn’t. Easier.” My tongue was tripping over the excuse, forsaking it’s sugar coated poisonous taste.

“It’s okay,” he repeated. “I get it.”

I smiled, knowing he couldn’t resist smiling along with me.

“So…you still up for something?”

I nodded.